To Begin at the Beginning

Hello, friends,

Welcome to the Wild Side! My name is Diana Cooper, and I'm the award-winning photographer behind Cooper Captures Gallery, based in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. I've been a professional since 2012, and my concentration is wildlife and scenic photography, with a strong emphasis on birds.

What got me to this point? You may well ask - or not, but I'm telling you anyway. I guess that you could say it's in my DNA. While most of my maternal side of the family was all about nature, my grandfather, Howard Huff, was a brilliant amateur photographer. He built his own enlarger for prints, then traveled with his wife, Bea, all around North America, shooting wildlife. I grew up, visiting their house and watching the wildlife on their 180 acres.  Later, I found out that my paternal great-grandfather was a professional photographer post-Civil War, and I've even had the privilege of restoring some of his work. I get this love of capturing the moment from both sides.

So why haven't I been a pro photog all my adulthood? Life happens. But when I married a lifetime photographer, Tony, the opportunities began. What I do, to me, is a calling. During my life, we've lost at least 30% of our songbirds. I work to document what we still have while I can. I want my grandsons to take from me the lessons of my grandpa - To honor nature and care for it as best you can. To appreciate what's around you, and share that with others.

I hope you'll enjoy my work, and the new shop that Tony has worked so hard to set up. We think it's a great way to show your support for the beauty around us. Please, take a look, subscribe to our list, tell others...and slow down to enjoy Mother Nature. It's really good for you.

Hugs!  Diana